Jewish Historical Institute

Warsaw

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Just behind a blue skyscraper (which stands on the location of the Great Synagogue destroyed by the Germans), JHI houses a library and exhibitions related to Jewish culture. The building, which opened in 1928, was the place where those involved in compiling the Ringelblum Archive conducted their activities – the exhibition on this precious collection of direct testimonies about the extermination of Polish Jewry is imaginatively conceived and very moving.

Also in the building is a strikingly designed bookshop and cafe, where you can pick up books in English on Jewish Warsaw and Poland.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Wilanow Palace, summer residence of King John III Sobieski (17th century), Wilanow, Warsaw, Poland

    Wilanów Palace

    6.61 MILES

    Warsaw’s top palace, 10km south of the city centre, was commissioned by King Jan III Sobieski in 1677. It has changed hands several times over the…

  • Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw

    Palace of Culture & Science

    0.88 MILES

    For over 60 years this socialist realist palace has dominated central Warsaw. A ‘gift of friendship’ from the Soviet Union, it was completed in 1955 and…

  • Castle Square in Warsaw

    Royal Castle

    0.55 MILES

    This remarkable copy of the original castle blown up by the Germans in WWII is filled with authentic period furniture and original works of art…

  • Memorial, Warsaw Uprising.

    Warsaw Rising Museum

    1.22 MILES

    This exceptional museum, housed in a former tram power station and its surrounding grounds, traces the history of the city's heroic but doomed uprising…

  • Copernicus Science Centre

    Copernicus Science Centre

    1.08 MILES

    The fully interactive, push-the-buttons-and-see-what-happens Copernicus Science Centre pulls off that tricky feat of being both hugely fun and educational…

  • Monument of Frederick Chopin

    Łazienki Park

    2.31 MILES

    Pronounced wah-zhen-kee, this beautiful park includes manicured gardens, an ornamental lake, wooded glades and strutting peacocks. Once a hunting ground,…

  • Muzeum Fryderika Chopin

    Fryderyk Chopin Museum

    1.01 MILES

    This multimedia museum within the baroque Ostrogski Palace showcases the work of Poland’s most famous composer. You’re encouraged to take your time…

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Nearby Warsaw attractions

1. Warsaw City Hall

0.1 MILES

This grand neoclassical structure, designed by Antonio Corazzi in the 1820s, lends Plac Bankowy some architectural heft. It houses the city administration…

2. Museum of the John Paul II Collection

0.16 MILES

This impressive art collection was donated to the Catholic Church by the Carrol-Porczyński family and includes works by Rembrandt, Velasquez, Constable,…

3. Vodka Museum

0.21 MILES

This small but attractive museum, hiding in a courtyard off the street, comprises mostly glass cases displaying a beautiful collection of old vodka…

4. Esperanto Mural

0.32 MILES

Dr Ludovic Lazarus Zamenhof (1859–1917) spoke around a dozen languages before inventing the international language of Esperanto in 1887. He lived in…

5. Krasiński Palace & Garden

0.34 MILES

A meticulous replica, following its destruction by the Germans in WWII, this baroque palace was originally completed in 1683 for the nobleman Jan…

6. Monument to the Warsaw Rising

0.36 MILES

One of Warsaw’s most important landmarks, this dynamic bronze tableau depicts Armia Krajowa (AK; Home Army) fighters emerging ghostlike from the shattered…

7. Field Cathedral of the Polish Army

0.36 MILES

One of Warsaw's most interesting churches is this traditional place of worship for soldiers. There’s no homage to the glory of war here; instead some…

8. Saxon Garden

0.36 MILES

Covering 15.5 hectares, this splendid garden, founded in the late 17th century, became Warsaw’s first public park in 1727. Initially modelled on…